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THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 2017
141st Year, No. 128
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WINNER OF THE 2016 ONPA GENERAL EXCELLENCE AWARD
PENDLETON
Housing
developer
seeks change
in loan deal
with city
State records: Doctors suspected
Montwheeler was faking illness
By LES ZAITZ
The Malheur Enterprise
Montwheeler
State doctors suspected nearly
20 years ago that Anthony W. Mont-
wheeler was feigning mental illness to
avoid prison, newly disclosed records
show.
The records, a portion of state fi les
on Montwheeler, give no indication
that offi cials acted on that suspicion
until Montwheeler admitted his ruse
two years ago.
Montwheeler, 49, told doctors that
he hoped his ploy would get him in
and out of the Oregon State Hospital in
six months, sparing him at least seven
years in prison.
Instead, he remained under the
jurisdiction of the state Psychiatric
Security Review Board, including
years in custody at the state hospital,
from 1997 until last December.
That’s when the board released
Montwheeler, concluding he was
no longer mentally ill and despite
warnings that he was a danger to the
community. He was subsequently
indicted for kidnapping and stabbing
to death his fourth ex-wife and killing
a Vale man and injuring the man’s wife
See MONTWHEELER/8A
By ANTONIO SIERRA
East Oregonian
The developer behind Pendleton’s
most signifi cant recent housing initiative
is asking the city to restructure his loan
agreement.
At a Pendleton City Council workshop
Tuesday, city manager Robb Corbett
presented the fi nancial history of the
project and the developer’s proposal.
To assist developer Saj Jivanjee in
building the Pendleton Heights subdivi-
sion off of Tutuilla Road, the city fronted
the costs of more than $1 million in infra-
structure improvements to the area.
In exchange, Jivanjee agreed to pay
back most of the infrastructure costs. As
enforcement measures, the city placed
liens on Jivanjee’s properties and created
a stipulation in the agreement that allowed
the city to retake the land if it went unde-
veloped.
The fi rst phase — 32 townhouses — is
already complete and has $320,000 in
liens.
The last phase was supposed to be an
additional 32 townhouses, but Jivanjee
decided to change it to a 100-unit apart-
ment complex to better recoup his invest-
ment. This phase has $480,000 in liens.
Jivanjee is now asking the city if he
can pay the city $100,000 and add the
lien amount from the fi rst phase to the last
phase.
This would benefi t Jivanjee twofold —
a lower debt-to-revenue ratio on the fi rst
phase would allow him to apply for long-
term fi nancing. It would also make it easier
for him to pay the remaining $700,000 in
liens on the fi nal phase because the apart-
ment complex will generate more revenue.
Corbett said Jivanjee plans to start
road work on the second phase at the end
of the month and begin construction of
the apartment complex toward the end
of summer. The project will be done in
20-unit increments, with Jivanjee paying
back the debt as each stage is completed.
Corbett said Jivanjee approached the
city about changing the terms of the deal.
“Saj has made a number of proposals
over the months that have not been as
attractive as this one,” said Mayor John
Turner, without elaborating.
Some councilors seemed wary of
accepting Jivanjee’s proposal, but coun-
cilor Scott Fairley said the city needed to
move ahead with the deal considering that
increasing the city’s housing inventory is
one of the council’s priorities.
The council took no action by the end
of the meeting, but Corbett said he would
present an amended contract for council
consideration at a future meeting.
———
Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@
eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836.
PENDLETON
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Pastor Chris Clemons shows members of the Pendleton High School CommuniCare club, from left, Dani Larios, advisor Jill
Gregg, Abby Rinehart and Emily Rinehart an improvised collection system for a leak in the roof at the Neighbor 2 Neighbor
Warming Station on Tuesday in Pendleton.
Students learn about giving
Club offers glimpse into world of nonprofi ts
By KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
Eight Pendleton High School
students are trying out the role of
philanthropist.
Giving is fun, they are
learning, but it’s also a multifac-
eted and sometimes emotional
endeavor.
The teens, all members of
the school’s new CommuniCare
club, have a pot of money to
spend in their community. The
club — essentially a tiny foun-
dation — lets them explore the
wide world of nonprofi ts and
philanthropy. The students raised
$500, which was matched by the
Harold and Arlene Schnitzer
CARE Foundation with an addi-
tional $7,500.
Club members, all encour-
aged to join last fall by adviser
Jill Gregg, admit they fi rst had
only a fuzzy idea about what
foundations actually do.
Gregg started meeting with
the students every two weeks
for 45 minutes to discuss how
a foundation operates. They
used a survey of the student
body to defi ne the group’s
mission: serving the homeless
and helping students with
educational expenses. The group
See CLUB/8A
“I feel like if more people were aware that there is such a big homelessness
problem in our community, they’d be more willing to help.”
— Abby Rinehart, CommuniCare club president
BOARDMAN
Lindsay helped turn barren land
into billion-dollar enterprise
By GEORGE PLAVEN
East Oregonian
Staff photo by George Plaven
Larry Lindsay has spent 50 years as a Port of Morrow com-
missioner. He was honored during a ceremony Wednesday.
When Larry Lindsay joined the Port
of Morrow in 1967, the district had no
employees and no industry.
Fifty years later, the port is an economic
powerhouse with businesses generating
around $2 billion annually. It is the second-
largest port district in Oregon behind only
Portland, and home to everything from
conventional farms to high-tech manufac-
turers.
No one has been more amazed by the
dramatic growth than Lindsay.
“I’ve watched here since the beginning,
and I never would have expected to see
what we have here now,” he said.
Lindsay, 80, was honored Wednesday
for serving 50 years as a port commissioner
in Boardman, lauded by family, friends and
colleagues for his leadership and dedication.
Gary Neal, who was hired as general
manager of the port in 1989, said it was
Lindsay who fi rst showed him the region’s
potential.
“He’s one of those people who’s very
passionate about what he sees as his vision
and goals for the port,” Neal said.
In the beginning, all Lindsay wanted
was a tax base to support local schools and
services in Boardman — a town that, until
See LINDSAY/8A